ethan_hanus

I'm a bit skeptical on this, I've heard people tell me that the 18 volt mod destroyed their cleans and made it sound overdriven, but I've heard the same about the stock 9 volt as well. Cause I know I get amazing cleans with my stock set up, especially when I mix the 81's together and back off on the volume knobs.

I'll have to try it myself, I think I'll buy a soderless wiring system for my 81 81 set up on my Squier Strat, and do the toggle switch for 9v to 18v, and see what happens. The toggle switch thing seems like a grand idea that everybody should employ. Only thing I have to do is figure out how to put 2 battery in that tiny cavity . Maybe there's room in the trem cavity.

Nice thread btw Kudos to you Zakk

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zakkwyldefan79

ethan_hanus when I did the 18v mod on my Explorer (w/ 81 & 85) it made the cleans on my 85 better. The 81 still doesn't sound very good clean. I like 18v better and I'll 18v mod every guitar I ever own with EMG pickups.

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ethan_hanus

I have a bunch of clips on my profile of me using my Squier with EMG 81's and the cleans on them sound pretty great, the 81 by itself sounds bad for cleans, but when its mixed with the neck 81 it gives it a lot of life that the bridge 81 was missing. I use the KH-21 EMG pickup set with just 1 9 volt from a Valveking 112 preamp direct in to my soundcard and cleaned up in Reaper, and the cleans that I can make sound very clean, I've surprised many people with my cleans. Idk about when the volume is pushed, I've never had to push it that hard with cleans, plus I don't think the crappy stock Valveking speaker would handle it very well.

I would still like the option of choosing between 9 and 18 volt. Even though the 18 volt is clearer, I like the extra distortion I can get with the 9 volt, despite it being slightly muddy.

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VST Amp Sim Demo Thread
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zakkwyldefan79

I edited in alot of info on Seymour Duncan active 6, 7 & 8 string pickups. Post 8 & 10. And still more is coming.

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Schecter Blackjack ATX C-1
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Blackstar HT Club 40
Fender Rumble 75

Shinozoku

Anyone know if there's a way to bypass the solderless connector system and wire up modern EMGs to 2 conductor like they used to make them?

I understand they're epoxy potted, so my guess would be that my answer is no, and that I 'd have to go to the EMG Custom Shop.

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Absent Mind

The actual wires that come out of the solderless pups are still the same arent they? Red, white and black? So you can choose to just solder that traditionally.

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zakkwyldefan79

Shinozoku, EMG has used the quick connect system on the back of the pickups for several years now. The quick connect would just slide on the pins on the back of the pickups but the other end still had to be soldered to the pots. In 2009 they started the solderless install system which adds quick connect style connectors to the other end of the quick coonect cables so they just slide on to the pins on the pots. If you don't like that set up you can get the old style pots from EMG and clip the connectors off of the pot end of the quick connect cables and solder everything the old way. It's either that or buy some used old stlye EMGs. That's pretty much your options. I'm pretty sure they don't make the old style pickups at all anymore.

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Jackson RR5 V
LTD EC-400VF
PRS Tremonti SE
Schecter Blackjack ATX C-1
2 Epiphone Explorers Black & Korina
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Michael Kelly Patriot Decree
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Schecter Omen Extreme 4
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Blackstar HT Club 40
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SomeoneYouKnew

Should be easy. The quik connects are the same. The cables are the same. The only difference in the solderless system is the addition of little plugs at the other end of the pickup cables. Cut off the plugs (the two little ones, not the 3 pin quik connect) and wire them up like the older versions.
Red is power.
Black is ground.
White is signal.

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Meadows

Shinozoku

Ah, what I meant wasn't the solderless thing (I misused the word ), but it's the quik-connect. Please see this pic for what I'm talking about

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zakkwyldefan79

Shinozoku you're probably gonna have to buy some used ones then. I don't think EMG has a custom shop. I could be wrong though. Why don't you like the ones with the quik connect system?

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2 Epiphone Explorers Black & Korina
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Fender Rumble 75

Shinozoku

I've heard that the 58 model is no longer available regularly, but is still available through their custom shop. Therefore, I would imagine they could make all of their pickups like they did in the old days through their custom shop for people who ask as well

And It's basically a mojo thing. I've heard from more than a fair share of people who have compared modern quick-connect EMGs to the old 2 or 4 conductor ones and cited the quick-connect system as a reason for the "sterility" that people associate with the pickups.

I know a guy with an old 85 and would love to swap it out with a modern one in a guitar and hear the difference myself. My question is posed merely for information gathering

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SomeoneYouKnew

Yeah, do that. Or save yourself the trouble and let your brain work for you.

Oh, God.

Must ... stop ... laughing ... before ... I ... fall ... out ... of ... my ... chair.

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Shinozoku

I'm sure you've heard more ridiculous things in your time And I said ONE of the things that contributes to the belief I've heard people say that the super low output of EMGs being boosted kills tone, I've heard them say the super high output of something like a DiMarzio X2N kills tone, and I've heard that EMGs really let true wood tone shine through due to the low DCR, and that the super high output of the X2N helps capture the wood tone the most I'm doing my own tests to see, definitely. Or to hear, rather

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zakkwyldefan79

The 58 is still listed on their site. So I guess it's still available regularly just like the other pickups. It's just not a commonly used as their other pickups. I've searched their site and it doesn't say anything about a custom shop like the sites of other companys. I've never heard of anyone having a custom active EMG. All the big names just use regular EMGs. The only artist pickup that EMG has is the new Alexi Laiho model which is passive.

I don't think a company like EMG would switch to the quick-connect if it had negative affect on the tone of the pickups. My friend has a guitar with old style EMGs and I can't tell a difference between them and the new ones in his other guitars or the ones in my guitars.

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Jackson RR5 V
LTD EC-400VF
PRS Tremonti SE
Schecter Blackjack ATX C-1
2 Epiphone Explorers Black & Korina
Epiphone SG G400
Michael Kelly Patriot Decree
Bass
Schecter Omen Extreme 4
Amps
Blackstar HT Club 40
Fender Rumble 75

zakkwyldefan79

I've edit alot of stuff on the first page. Added alot of pics and various other stuff. Too much to list here.

__________________
Guitars
Jackson RR5 V
LTD EC-400VF
PRS Tremonti SE
Schecter Blackjack ATX C-1
2 Epiphone Explorers Black & Korina
Epiphone SG G400
Michael Kelly Patriot Decree
Bass
Schecter Omen Extreme 4
Amps
Blackstar HT Club 40
Fender Rumble 75

Shinozoku

^It's likely a mojo thing, then. Still, I'd like to compare two identical models with the two different kinds of connectors in the same guitar

Ahh, a project for some time in the far away future...

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ARThriller

Hey guys im hoping this is the right place but since it doesnt involve wiring or anything I hope it is. Anyways im going good getting everything in my Dean and then I come to install the input jack and I realize that the battery clip that connects to the 9-volt wont fit through the input jack hole that runs into the cavity on back. The input is on a V so think Gibson V input placement if you need a visual. And since I dont think I could route that hole from the backside to make it fit at that angle what other option is there? Where the clip connects to the jack has a little rubber piece over it keeping me from getting to it. Any ideas.....

mikeyElite

i had a old 85 in my viper for a long time, looks exactly like that picture up there. i recently gave it to my brother for his guitar and put a solderless 85 in mine. sound is identical.

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SomeoneYouKnew

I thought EMG would have had the foresight to put a connector in there.

Maybe cut the black wire and use some crimp-on connectors like this?




Missed opportunity. You could have sold it to Shino for double the list price.

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Meadows